Summer Spectacle
by Daisy Pennifold
Summary: In which a young Harry Potter learns the trick to managing parents: keep them entertained, and they won't punish you.


_Author's Note: This is dedicated to my friend Allie (aka Jestin). Her poignant fan art inspired this very short one-shot. ONE-SHOT. **ONE**-SHOT. NO UPDATES. NO SEQUELS. Remember, kids, the art of good writing is knowing when to stop. Kisses! – Daisy_

"Can you believe he's an entire year old?" Lily said to her husband, gazing fondly at her chubby son, before turning back to the counter on which she was mixing a birthday cake.

"Yes. Seems to me like he's been around forever. Ow!" James replied, dodging a swat at the head. He was sitting at the kitchen table, directly behind his wife.

Harry, the child in question, was sitting on the table. He wasn't sure what the fuss was about. He had only one mission: get those glorious shiny round things _off_ his father's face and into _his_ mouth. He was sure he could do it, but the big person in front of him kept moving out of reach whenever he grabbed. And James was trying to do that weird belly-farty thing to him again. Grown-ups.

"When do you think he'll start talking? Alice told me in her last letter that little Neville knows three words already."

"Well, isn't he a bloody genius," said James flippantly. He sounded as if he was sure that his son was just as good as any Longbottom. Probably better.

"James! You can't talk that way about a baby! Here, taste this batter. What do you think?"

"Mmm. I will show you what I think, Miss Super Chef."

"Not in front of the baby, love! Why don't you, um, show me in the other room, yea?" Lily grabbed Harry from the table, plopped him down on the floor, and left the kitchen, James apparently attached to her neck.

Harry heard the usual giggles and tickles and shrieks from the other room. He heard that a lot, but he was usually in his cot and unable to do anything about it. It sounded like fun!

He was about to crawl in and join his mum and dad, when a little flash of light glinting off of the countertop caught his attention. The shiny things! His dad must have left them off when he attacked his mum's ear earlier.

* * *

A short time later, Harry could hear his mum and dad returning.

"…need to get him out of that girl shirt before we take him to Remus' house anyway, I can do that while you're baking the cake."

"You most certainly will _not_! The Harpies are my favorite Quidditch team. Besides, plenty of blokes like them, too. It isn't a – how in Merlin's name did he get up there?" Lily and James stopped still in the doorway to the kitchen, staring open-mouthed at their son, who was sitting quietly on the counter, next to the spoons, his dad's glasses in his mouth. He turned from looking out the window, took the glasses out of his mouth and smiled at his parents.

Holding up the glasses, Harry said, "Ize."

"Did he just say, 'eyes', or 'nice'?" Lily asked, looking at her husband.

"Probably _both_, because he's a genius. And a WIZARD!" James crowed, grabbing up Harry and doing the belly-farty thing before tossing his son in the air. Harry endured this stoically, glasses still in one grubby paw, and even giggled a little. He hadobserved that giggling made the big people happy. It worked this time, too, because the lady came over, and hugged both Harry and James. Harry noticed that there was water in her eyes.

"I'll bet super-swot Neville Longbottom hasn't shown any magical abilities! They'll have to drop that boy on his big ol' head to find it!"

"James!" admonished Lily, but she was grinning from ear to ear. "Take our little genius into the library and read him that 'Happy Little Snidget' book Sirius bought him. I'll be along as soon as I pop the cake in."

"Alright, but I'll need my glasses back."

"Squint, love," Lily said, still smiling. "He's earned them."

Finally, Harry thought, as he popped the glasses back into his mouth from his spot on his father's shoulder. The lengths it took to make grown-ups be sensible!

_A/N: Please visit Jestin's page for a link to her livejournal where you can see the picture that inspired this piece. It's wonderful!_


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